Madison’s Mayor Trulock keeps eye on Wall Triana bridge project

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) - A construction project to widen a Madison bridge continues...with a government official playing paparazzi. Drivers near the Wall Triana Bridge will notice a familiar face as construction of the bridge continues.

"I'm out here because I want to make sure that we're moving as fast as possible as we can on this bridge," said Mayor Troy Trulock. Armed with a camera, Mayor Trulock comes out daily to take pictures of the site and talk to construction crews.

"Folks may not enjoy me being out here speaking to them, from the construction site, but it's important that we stay engaged, that the city is available to able to help in any way possible." The bridge is on schedule for a late-September completion, and local residents are saying 'good riddance' to the bridge they once knew.

"It definitely needed to be done, it was a safety issue from before. It didnt have any guardrails, and it was kind of old," said Justin Tarr, a resident of one of the nearby subdivisions. The project will widen the bridge, add a turning lane, and add a sidewalk for pedestrians.

"I'll be glad when it's done because it has caused a lot of extra traffic," says Kathleen McKay. Like Tarr, Mckay says she looks forward to people driving back on the bridge--and off of residential streets.

"In the afternoons and rush hour is just awful because all the cars are funneling through in my area where theyre not usually going through."

Mayor Trulock, who says he'll be happy if the bridge is done ahead of time, hopes the area will be back to normal as soon as possible.

"I just want to make sure if we're stuck in one area, can we move to another piece of the bridge to keep on moving."

The bridge is not out, literally -- it remains intact, for emergency purposes only, at least for the time being.

It is illegal for anyone other than an emergency vehicle to drive around the posted barricades to cross the bridge.

Trulock and the nearby residents are asking motorists to follow the detour routes, which guide drivers to Hughes Road, instead of driving through the neighborhoods.